Ironton's 'Diesel', 'Steam' help derail Canisius

Photo by Jeremy Holtzapfel

Photo by Jeremy Holtzapfel

Photo by Jeremy Holtzapfel

IRONTON — Forget the train nickname. Let’s just focus on the two engines, the Diesel and the Steam.

Zayne “The Diesel” Williams and Kayden “The Steam” Edwards were on the right track all day while the defense was keeping Elijah Kimble at the train station all day as the Ironton Fighting Tigers routed the Canisius Crusaders 55-21 on Saturday afternoon.

While Canisius came into the game featuring Division 1 major prospect Elijah Kimble, it was Ironton that ran up and down the field for 374 yards as Williams carried just 9 times for 132 yards and Edward ran 11 times for 152 yards. Both scored 3 touchdowns each.

Meanwhile, Ironton’s defensive front— led by Mason Wheeler, Braiden Linn, Aiden Hensley and Easton Caudill — continually beat the bigger but slower and less athletic offensive line of the Crusaders to the punch. Or, in this case, the hole.

Ironton limited Kimble to 74 yards on 25 carries although he scored twice and caught a 29-yard pass that set up a score. In fact, the Crusaders did most of their damage through the air as they threw for 197 yards and a touchdown.

Kimble came into the game nearing 4,000 career rushing yards. He has 37 Division 1 offers.

Trading the 197 yards passing for just 102 rushing was fine with Ironton head coach Trevon Pendleton.

“We talked all week, if they’re going to throw the ball to beat us, so be it. Two of their three touchdowns were passing plays and the other one was set up by a pass play,” said Pendleton. “I was really proud of our kids' effort. We got eleven hats to the ball on the majority of plays. We broke down on some discipline things, but that is nothing that we can’t go back to the drawing board and teach them.”

The opening kickoff proved to be an omen of what was to come.

Ironton (4-0) recovered a pooch kickoff as Brian Kidd jumped on the ball at the Canisius 42-yard line. It took just 4 plays for Ironton to score and Williams went 25 yards to pay dirt. Beckham Waginger’s conversion kick made it 7-0.

Canisius (1-1) managed to get a first down on a 28-yard pass from Nathaniel Lindstrom to Noah Harrison, but a second fourth down pass went incomplete in the end zone and Ironton was back in business.

The Fighting Tigers went 41 yards in 7 plays capped by Williams’ 6-yard run and Waginger’s kick made it 14-0 with 5:32 on the clock.

Ironton got the ball back  at the Canisius 41 and Williams threw a 40-yard halfback pass to Braydon Baker to the one-yard line that set up a quarterback steal by Edwards and it was 21-0 with 3:27 left in the quarter.

The Crusaders finally got some offense going early in the second quarter as Lindstrom hit Harrison with a 46-yard pass to the Ironton 6-yard line and Kimble fought his way through the defense for the score. Lucas Bonilla kicked the conversion and it was 21-7.

But the Fighting Tigers answered quickly. That’s quickly like a New York minute.

On the ensuing play after the kickoff, Edwards broke free and outran the defense 80 yards for a touchdown and the lead was 28-7 with 8:35 to play in the half.

But Canisius wasn’t going to quit and went on a 64-yard, 9-play drive highlighted by a 29-yard pass to Kimble to the 3-yard line that set up his one-yard run and it was 28-14 with 4:22 on the clock.

Using 5 different ball carriers, Ironton went 72 yards in 9 plays with Kylan Grace running 6 yards for the touchdown and a 35-14 lead with 1:26 to go in the half.

“I think that our depth is our strength and we were able to play at a little bit quicker tempo than we have been and we were able to get more carries to our guys,” said Pendleton.

A 28-yard pop pass from Edwards to Brycen Mullins went for 28 yards to start the second half and got the ball to the Canisius 26. After a 5-yard penalty, Williams ran the final 19 yards and the lead was 41-14 with just under 11 minutes on the clock.

A 15-yard penalty help Canisius get to the Ironton 39 and a Matteo Brusco hit Jack Cullinan with a 9-yard pass to the 30 and then Noah Harrison made a nice catch for the touchdown as he had to look straight up over his head as the ball fell down into his hands and the Crusaders cut the deficit to 41-21 at the 9:25 mark.

But Ironton took control  with an 80-yard, 8-play drive capped by Tyler Carmon’s one-yard run to make it 48-21.

The Crusaders got to the Ironton 15 but Edwards intercepted a fourth down pass in the end zone. The Fighting Tigers took advantage of the turnover with another 80-yard drive only this time in one fewer play as Edwards ran the final 2 yards and its was 55-21 with just 25 seconds left on the third quarter clock.

With a running clock, each team had one possession in the fourth quarter but no one scored.

Ironton will host Jackson on Friday.

Canisius 0 14 7 0 = 21

Ironton  21 14 20 0 = 55

First Quarter

Irn — Zayne Williams 25 run (Beckham Waginger kick) 10:05

Irn — Zayne Williams 6 run (Beckham Waginger kick) 5:32

Irn — Kayden Edwards 1 run (Beckham Waginger kick) 3:27

Second Quarter

Ca — Elijah Kimble 6 run (Lucas Bonilla kick) 8:47

Irn — Kayden Edwards 80 run (Beckham Waginger kick) 8:35

Ca — Elijah Kimbler 1 run (Lucas Bonilla kick) 4:22

Irn —Kylan Grace 6 run (Beckham Waginger kick) 1:26

Third Quarter

Irn — Zayne Williams 19 run (kick failed) 10:58

Ca — Noah Harrison 30 pass from Matteo Brusco (Beckham Waginger kick) 09:25

Irn — Tyler Carmon 1 run (Beckham Waginger kick) 6:15

Irn — Kayden Edwards 2 run (Beckham Waginger kick) 0:25

———

Ca Irn

First downs 13 22

Rushes-yards 31-102 38-374

Passing yards 197 119

Total yards 299 493

Cmp-Att-Int 9-23-1 9-11-0

Fumbles-lost 0-0 0-0

Penalties-yards 6-38 4-55

Punts-average 3-37-.7 0-00.0

———

Individual Leaders

RUSHING–Canisius: Elijah Kimble 25-78 2-TD, Jermaine Habeeb 1-24, Amir Hernandez 1-1, Xavier Gates-Franklin 1-2, Quentin Littleton 1-0, Matteo Brusco 2-minus 3; Ironton: Zayne Williams 9-132 3-TD, Kayden Edwards 11-152 3-TD, Tyler Carmon 7-27 TD, Kylan Grace 5-32 TD, Tyler Harvey 1-7, Brock Biggs 1-9, Easton Caudill 2-15, Braiden Linn 1-minus 2.

PASSING–Canisius: Matteo Brusco 7-14-1 123 TD, Nathaniel Lindstrom 2-13-0 74; Ironton: Kayden Edwards 8-10-0 79, Zayne Williams 1-1-0 40.

RECEIVING–Canisius: Noah Harrison 4-98 TD, Jack Cullinan 2-37, Jason Love 1-19, Elijah Kimble 1-29, Connor Gaine 1-14; Ironton: Braydon Baker 1-40, Brycen Mullins 3-46, Maddix Markel 3-22, Bryson Kerns 1-9, Easton Caudill 1-2.

MISSED FIELD GOALS–None.